Looking Back: Looking Back at the Passsed

2024 saw many beloved family members slip away from us all here in the Pass. The list is long and varied but each one was a life well lived and each one played an integral part in what makes up our amazing community.  I have read through that list and with some names there are personal stories or observations that come to mind that I would like to share. I trust that the families of those mentioned will see it is an acknowledgment by the writer of some part of their special lives. 

Starting in January the name Rose Marie Cocciolone came up and a memory of her starting every day in pin curls and a hair net came to mind. Rose Marie or Tootsie as she was called was one of 10 children of Joseph and Rosie Cocciolone. I knew some of her siblings like Frank, Tony, Nata (Milvain) and Frena (Langille) and of course Joey. I interviewed Joey in 2017 and his story is on line at (passheraldarchive.ca) and is entitled “Tales of a York Creek Trapper”.  Rose Marie outlived all her siblings and was a colourful character indeed.  

On January 21st came the news of the abrupt passing of the enigmatic David Edgar Cole or Choppy as he was known. Choppy’s life and career here is symbolic of those who chose to play a part in enriching and protecting their community. Choppy served two terms on town council, was for many years a volunteer firefighter, fire marshal, member of the Masonic Lodge, refurbisher of the Bellevue Mine and one of the builders of our cherished Fireman’s Park. Someone shared a funny story with me about him that goes back to the days when he worked as a caretaker at the high school. It seems that the biology lab had a pet iguana named Iggy who one day got loose and hid under the baseboard heater. The caretaker was called to help get at him but it turned out that Choppy was absolutely terrified of Iggy. At one point he said, “If that thing even moves its tail I will make a new hole in the wall to get out of here.” His was a life well lived. 

In early February Milo Alphonse Marcial passed away at the age of 99. What a life this man had and he lived it to the fullest. An excellent carpenter, Milo ran Milo’s Contracting for over 40 years. He served as a volunteer fireman for 45 years and was given the Governor General award on two occasions for his service. As Fire Chief Milo and his team created Thunder in the Valley in 1992. He was a member of the Knights of Columbus and by all reports a great hockey player, playing for the Crow United Seniors Men team. I learned that in that capacity he had the nickname Spider, as he was all arms and legs and even took the practices seriously. Milo said of the Pass, “it’s the most beautiful place on earth”.On April 12th another well known character from Bellevue passed at the age of 92. Yolanda Gregory was known as an outstanding baker and caterer and like many others always involved in our community. She could be a lot of fun. I laughed when I read that one of her commitments was called Citizens on Patrol where she and Marge Houda patrolled the community looking for troublemakers. I can’t imagine being confronted by those two as a teenager.  At a garage sale years ago I bought a special belt from Yolanda that was her husband Bill’s. It is unique in that it has a hidden zipper around part of the inside of it for stashing money.   “Riposa tranquilla ti vogliamo bene“  

On May 4th Avner Perl left us bringing to an end a remarkable career that eventually led him here where his well educated and philosophical mind was offered to the public weekly. The column was called The Simple Raven’s Post and it was a deliberate twist that Raven is the letters Avner rearranged.  His columns were influential and “spoke to the hearts of the people of his community.” He saw change was badly needed in our society.  “He believed that as a collective humanity we needed to fundamentally change the way we were living, grasping back on to more simpler roots, and in his own words, “that is more beneficial to all”.  It is worthwhile to read his obituary on-line. He had a huge career before here and he is sorely missed. 

On May 8th a man born the same year as me passed. James Jim Hardy was a character I remember well from my student coal mining days. We were a team at Coleman Collieries B-Level Mine where I helped him run an electric supply car that caused us no amount of headaches.  He was funny and hardworking and we took the job of getting supplies to the mechanical miners that gobbled up coal, seriously. When the supply car couldn’t make it up the slope we used a tugger (hoist) to take the timbers and other materials further up. It was air driven and would seize up with frost at times, which required pouring alcohol on the exposed cylinder.  On one occasion Jimmy went outside for a jug of alcohol and while holding the jug decided to have a smoke outside. When he lit up, the alcohol fumes ignited and took his eyebrows and eyelashes off. It was a shocker to see him after and we laughed like hell. There were not to be cigarettes at B-Level but miners that rode the bus to this high mountain mine, hid them under their hats.  A solid coal miner he was. 

On July 4th Robert “Obie” O’Brien from Lundbreck chose to leave us after cancer stripped away his amazing mechanical skills and his remarkable talent as a musician. I was honoured to lead the service for him at the Hillcrest Miner’s Club, where for many years he could be found on every Saturday afternoon, along with Earl Scott, playing for the special dancing community that gathered there. A picture of him and my beloved sister Nancy singing together hangs on my office wall.   Another life well lived. 

The Gresl name is well known in the Pass and Bob, son of Charles Gresl, and father to Captain Charles (Chuck) Gresl, an Operations Officer with 32 years of service, passed on August 12th.   Bob’s father Charles was one of six brothers working in the Coalhurst Mine when it blew up in 1935. Three of them didn’t make it out.  Bob’s father attempted to rescue his brothers in a mine which was full of gas, but it was too dangerous and to no avail.  Bob himself worked at Phillips Cable for 20 years and then at Summit Lime Works for 27 years. I am the proud owner of two copies of History of the Summit Lime Works (2008) that Bob compiled. It is a complete and wonderfully detailed comprehensive history of this limestone quarry that dates back to 1905. A nice contribution to community, Bob. 

On August 10th Elizabeth Anne Sherrington passed at Peak to Pines. I visited her there several times and knew her well as a retired nurse. A delightful and open hearted woman, Liz shared stories with me about her amazing career. Liz took four year of general training at Canterbury, 18 months of post graduate in orthopedics and one year’s training in midwifery. She also took a year of dental training prior to her general training. Liz put 42 years of service in and never lost her love of nursing. She was always quick to correct me when I would say someone had passed. She would insist that that was improper and the right thing was to say was that they had died. Period!

Liz’s very first opportunity at applying her skills occurred on Kangaroo Island, off the south coast of Australia, where she worked at a clinic that was quite inaccessible. If a doctor was required she was to call the mainland and he would come by boat. One day she got a call from a farmer stating that Emma had broken her leg and he was bringing her in. She felt she could handle this and, with the receiving area prepped, in walked a farmer with a pig in his arms. And yes Liz splinted that reluctant porcine. She was a magnificent human being and will be missed by many.   In and amongst these noted pioneers I have chosen to mention are dozens of people that slipped away throughout the year. They all had worth, a story and were loved by many. 

Death does not take a holiday in December and in that month there are three that I took note of. On Dec 5th it was a shock to hear that Irene Matkowski, at age 68, was gone. It was astounding to learn that she had put in no less than 41 years with IGA and its previous owners as deli manager. That is huge and almost incomprehensible but Irene was a gracious and dedicated person who consistently ensured a quality product was given out. I learned she even grew her own parsley so that her presentations had a homemade feel to them.  I remember her smile and her competent service. 

 Seven days later, on the 12th, it was Irene Elizabeth (Zeith) Hill, who had lived for 94 years, that was gone. I remember her well as a waitress at the Satellite Cafe (now the Taberna). She worked along with a gal named Peal Myslicki who I learned later was her sister.  A 25 cent giant plate of fries served up by them at the Satellite was a true delight for us acne ridden teenagers. Irene loved animals and this was evident from her place on Blairmore Road which is adorned with figurines and statues. It is a deer haven, a place where they always felt safe. 

 At the end of the year, on Christmas Day, the good Lord chose to take Alberta Dase, at age 95.  They wheeled her from extended care to Keith Krish’s room (her brother) in the hospital a little over a year ago just before he passed. She sang a native song in Czechoslovakian to him. She was the reason Brent Dase organized the amazing Cache the Pass events. To acknowledge all the AHS workers here in the Pass. Brent’s daily visits to Alberta at extended care where he observed the morale issue struggle drove him to create the wildest, most fun chase you could imagine. It was uplifting for all those AHS workers who joined this scavenger hunt free-for-all. 

So there were many more than this select few that crossed over. As I said, everyone was important, everyone was loved and every one of them will always be remembered.